Friday, April 7, 2017

Hey
nerds! Erica Kudisch here promoting my novel DON'T FEED THE TROLLS, a
genderqueer romp through internet drama. And if you keep up with the blog tour
and its bonus DLC, there's a $50 prize package achievement for you to unlock.
Have fun!

Gaming
while female is enough to incur the wrath of the dude-bros, and they’ve come
for me. Instead of fighting back, I’ve created an alternate account. Male name,
male pronouns. And I’ve met this girl. I’ve always liked girls, and Laura’s
adorable and smart and never gives up, and she likes me back. Or rather, she
likes the man I’m pretending to be. But I can’t tell her I’m a woman without
the mob coming after her too.

And
besides: I might not be a woman, not really.

The
truth is, I don’t know what I am anymore. I’ve spent my whole life being told
how I’m supposed to act and what I’m supposed to be, but none of it feels
right. And my lie is starting to feel truer than anything I’ve ever been.

There’s
a convention coming up, but the closer it gets, the more I have to choose: lie
or fight. But if I don’t stand my ground as a girl, am I letting the haters
win?

Six hours and two failed attempts at bomb-making later, the Duchess Uhruu’s window pops up again.

UHRUU*D*: Did you find someone to work with?

BANNEDICT: yeah. it’s kind of you to check in

UHRUU*D*: You haven’t played with many conscientious sovereigns, have you?

BANNEDICT: you have no idea

UHRUU*D*: Ha. Well, don’t name names unless you have to worry about them here.

BANNEDICT: i don’t think i will

BANNEDICT: i came from another server and i don’t think they’ll follow me

BANNEDICT: rubicon crossed, bridges burned

BANNEDICT: if you can burn bridges made of pixilated water i mean

UHRUU*D*: Haha yeah. I get it. Just message me if you have to. Or if you don’t, that’s fine too.

BANNEDICT: i will

UHRUU*D*: Should I let you go?

BANNEDICT: no, sorry

BANNEDICT: you’re not annoying me i promise, im flattered

BANNEDICT: english isn’t my first language and i’ve been told i can come across final in it

BANNEDICT: but i’m blunt in french too so yeah

UHRUU*D*: Canadian?

BANNEDICT: no, french living in the us

UHRUU*D*: Ah, cool. I ask because I’m in Seattle and we get a lot of disgruntled Vancouverites. And half of my counts are Quebecois.

BANNEDICT: ha

BANNEDICT: that’s going to help on voice chat

UHRUU*D*: I don’t doubt it. You’re working your way up as a navigator?

BANNEDICT: yeah

UHRUU*D*: I’ll convey it to the others. The highest ranked is Count Dhalinhwa. IRL he’s got a 3 year old so he needs all the help he can get.

BANNEDICT: i’ll keep that in mind

BANNEDICT: you have a tight handle on this

UHRUU*D*: I got sick of lawless players.

BANNEDICT: i don’t blame you

BANNEDICT: it’s why i’m here

BANNEDICT: but if you’re that tired of it why keep playing here

UHRUU*D*: You can hate the players without hating the game, I guess. Or you can create places within the game where you don’t hate the players. I know a lot of people use ER to be assholes, but it’s got the potential to be so much more. And if they’ve got the freedom to be assholes, I’ve got the freedom to be decent.

BANNEDICT: amen

UHRUU*D*: So yeah. The game’s what the players make it, and I’m making it the kind I want to play, because if they can, so can I.

BANNEDICT: i’ve never heard anyone put it that way before

BANNEDICT: is it forward to say that’s really beautiful?

UHRUU*D*: Forward, maybe, but flattering. And thank you.

BANNEDICT: you’re welcome

BANNEDICT: i hope i can do the same

UHRUU*D*: I know you can. And again, thank you. Sometimes I need to hear I’m not crazy.

BANNEDICT: well you’re not

BANNEDICT: those guys are the crazy ones trying to scare people out of having a good time

UHRUU*D*: And this guy isn’t?

BANNEDICT: no, this guy just wants to chart the endless sea without hate mail popping up every five seconds

UHRUU*D*: Well then this guy and I should get along just fine.

BANNEDICT: this guy agrees completely

UHRUU*D*: Haha. Does this guy have a name he’d prefer to be called OOC? Mine would be Laura.

I type my real name reflexively, like everything else in this conversation—fuck, she’s easy to talk to. And she gets the harrassment, which is more than I can say for anyone else I’ve talked to so far, even Alain and Jackie.

But Fatiguee’s name is already out there, contest winner and all, and my real name won’t be far behind. I shouldn’t use it. And Uhruu—Laura—is already thinking of me as a guy. A name he’d prefer. That is the whole point, isn’t it? To be someone else.

At least my name has a masculine alternative.

Erica
Kudisch lives, writes, sings, and often trips over things in New York City.
When not in pursuit of about five different creative vocations, none of which
pay her nearly enough, you can usually find her pontificating about dead gay
video games, shopping for thigh-high socks, and making her beleaguered
characters wait forty thousand words before they get in the sack.

In
addition to publishing novellas and short stories as fantastika-focused
alter-ego Kaye Chazan (What Aelister Found Here and The Ashkenazi Candidate,
both available at Candlemark & Gleam) Erica is responsible for the BDSM
musical Dogboy & Justine, and serves as creative director and co-founder of
Treble Entendre Productions.

To
celebrate the release of Don’t Feed the Trolls, one lucky winner
will receive a $30 Riptide credit and a $20 Steam gift card!Leave
a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at
midnight, Eastern time, on April 8, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S.
entries. Thanks for following the tour,
and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Congrats and thanks for the excerpt with the back and forth. This book sounds great. I haven't read many genderqueer stories but I like to broaden out, and I like the framing around gaming. - Purple Reader,TheWrote [at] aol [dot] com

Congrats and thanks for the post. This book sounds great. I haven't read many genderqueer stories but I like to broaden out, and I like the framing around gaming. - Purple Reader,TheWrote [at] aol [dot] com

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered into the TTC Books and more monthly comment giveaway. EVERY comment that is relevant to the specific post will be entered. Prizes include various gift cards and swag donated by Publishers, Authors and blog Owner. REMEMBER TO LEAVE YOUR CONTACT INFO! How else will I notify you if you win?